Portable searchlight



J. W. KNOBLOCK.

PORTABLE SEARCHL IGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FER-9,1917.

1,309, 140, Patented. J uly 8, 1919.

I 3 $HEETS-SHEET l.

J. W. KNOBLOCK.

PORTABLE SEARCHLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 9.1911.

Patented July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- J. W. KNOBLOCK.

PORTABLE SEARCHLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, Hill.

5 vwe 14 cm %13 $4.! mozmmfg 1 w 8 7 81H r A Vum |l| m a f T v Mm 6/ UsH3 MM O 4 1 J 9 0 0O 0 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. KNOIBLOCK, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LA FRANCEFIRE ENGINE COMPANY, INC., OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

.PORTABLE SEARCHLIGHT.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed February 9, 1917. Serial No. 147,603.

T 0 all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that I, JAMES W. KNonnooK, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Elmira, county of Chemung, and State of,

New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PortableSearchlights, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to portable searchlights and has for its mainobject to provide an improved construction and arrangement of partswhich will make it possible to construct a device of this charactersubstantially water, smoke and dirt proof, thus rendering it peculiarlyserviceable in some fields of service, such for example as around fires.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved constructionwhich will be simple, durable, and efficient, the parts being compactlyand conveniently arranged to be readily manipulated, while being carriedabout. Other and further objects will appear in the specification and bepointed-out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of thepreferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig, 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofthe same showing the battery chamber open, the cover being partly brokenaway,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of p a modification,

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line VV, Fig. 3, parts being brokenaway and parts shown in elevation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in one embodiment showntherein, a handle 1 isjournaled on rivets 2 and secured by screws 2 to asheet metal case 3, said case being provided with a transverse partitionfor forming a battery chamber between it in Fig, 3. A wire 15 leads fromsaid switch to one terminal of an, incandescent filament contained inlamp 16. The other terminal of said filament is connected by a wire 17to the terminal box 12. Lamp 16 is provided with a reflector 18 shown indotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, said reflector and lamp being within ahousing 19, the outer wall of which is formed as a surface of revolutionwith respect to the axis about which the reflector swings in the mannerto be presently pointed out. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the housing 19is preferably formed with a part-spherical contour and in any positionto which it may be adjusted, a portion of the outer wall thereof lies inclose juxtaposition to a correspondingly formed wall 20 of the case 3.It will be seen therefore that the top and front walls of the case arecutout in such a way as to fit the spherical back of the projector, sothat no matter at what elevation of projection the projector is set, the

case will be approximately sealed and thus adapted to shed water, toexclude dirt and thus to protect the parts contained within thereflectorand the case. Fastened to the spherical back of the projector arethreaded bushings 21 and 2 2, which are coaxially arranged and whichreceive the trunnion screws 23 and 24 by means of which the reflector istrunnioned in case 3. The reflector is provided with a front door 25which is hinged at 26 and retained in closed position by a fastening atthe top (not shown). A cover 26 for the battery chamber is hinged at 27and 28 to the upper edge of the rear wall of the case 3, suitablefastenings 29 being provided to retain the cover in closed position.Said cover 26 is adapted to hold the battery in place when in closedposition, and is provided with a flange which depends around the upperedge of the battery chamber, thus making said battery chamberspray-proof or rain-proof. It will be seen by an inspection of Fig. 1,that-the rotary axis of the reflector 18 is horizontal and arrangedbetween the upper and lower horizontal planes of the battery chamber,and approximately at the same elevation as the terminal box 12. Thefront door 25 of the projector; provides an annular enlargement whichcomes into abutment with the lower front wall of the case 3, when theprojector projects light straight ahead. By

an inspection of Fig. 3, it will beseen that the storage battery, aswell as the reflector,

extends substantially entirely across the case,

one of these elements being entirely housed within said case, while theother of said elements has a large portion thereof housed within saidcase. The resulting construction is at once compact, water, weather anddirt-proof, readily manipulated, and durably constructed by reason ofthe aimplicity and the fewness of the parts. In both embodiments of myinvention, the arrangement of the terminal sockets 11 and 12 adjacentthe poles 7 and 8 of the battery and in positions in which they do notobstruct the movement of said battery into and out of the batterychamber, is of importance.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, it is desirable undersome conditions, to use a battery which is relatively larger than thebattery shown in the former embodiment. In Fig. 4:, the battery chamberoccupies somewhat more than one-half of the housing 30, thecorresponding portion of said housing being protruded slightly above theforward end of housing 30 and surmounted by a cover 31. The reflector 32swings about the axis of studs 33. A handle 3i is pivotally connected tohousing 30 by means of coaxial rivets 35, it being necessary in thisembodiment to swing the handle out of the way to permit the relativelylarge battery to be introduced and removed. In order to hold the handlerigid, a screw 36 is provided on each side, to hold the handle rigid ina plane substantially including the center of gravity of the search.

light.

i claim l. A portable Searchlight comprising a case, a projectorjournaled in said case, said projector being provided with a surface ofrevolution with respect to its journaling axis, a battery in said case,said case being provided with portions forming a surface of revolutionwith respect to said axis and closely conforming to the surface ofrevolution of said projector, and means for connecting said battery tosaid projector.

2. A portable Searchlight comprising a polyhedral case, one dihedralangle of which has portions of its face walls removed and the openingthereby formed closed by a wall conforming to a surface of revolution,the axis of which approximately coincides with the corner edge of saiddihedral angle, a light projector journaled to swing about said axis,said projector having a wall approximately conforming to said surface ofrevolution. and a source of energy arranged in said case and connectedup to said lightprojector.

3. A portable searchlight including a case 7 provided with a batterychamber extending substantially across the width of said case, theforward wall of said chamber being provided with terminal boxes arrangedadjacent the top wall of said chamber, a reflector mounted to swingabout a horizontal axis arranged at about the same elevation as saidterminal boxes in the forward wall of said chamber, a lamp suitablydisposed with respcct to said reflector. a housing for said reflectorprovided with a surface of revolution adjacent said chamber, theSearchlight case being constructed to conform to said surface ofrevolution. and means extending through said terminal boxes and saidreflector housing for connecting said lamp with said battery.

4. In a portable Searchlight, a case or housing, a light projectorjournaled on an axis and provided with a wall conforming to a surface ofrevolution with respect to said axis, said case or housing beingprovided with a wall conforming to a surface of revolution with respectto said axis and adjacent to the similarly formed wall of the projector,an electric lamp in said projector, a battery in said case or housing,and means extending through said walls for electricallv connecting saidlamp to said battery.

JAS. "W. KNOBLOCK.

